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Summer Camp Retreat to Tucson Arizona

Our Arizona Parish will be leaving Phoenix for 2 weeks out of the summer for a retreat to Tucson. They will be joining our mission group from Flagstaff for a camp out full of activities and games for kids, and bible study for the adults. There will be meals prepared daily for everyone in attendance. Games will include horse shoes, capture the flag, and a mini olympics for the kids. Camp fires and bible stories will follow every night. For those who want to stay up for roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate can join us by the fire place as we discuss Jesus and self confidence. For the weekend we will be venturing into Tucson so the kids can have a lesson in self defense at this Arizona Gym. Many of our students will be graduating bible school and venturing off to other countries to spread the word of God. It is our opinion that proper self defense and prayer can protect you during times of danger. If the lord doesn’t answer your calling, then at least they will know how to throw an upper cut to get out of a dangerous situation. The lord works in mysterious ways and this is no different. Building that relationship with Jesus is important, but learning to defend yourself could get you out of situations that the good lord might not have time to do. The Tucson retreat will also bring us to the University of Arizona so the kids can get a tour of the school. Some of our bible students will be continuing their education and attending college. We encourage our kids to preach the word of the lord in other countries before attending college. This gives them a chance to learn the value of their bible school teachings and prepare them for a lifetime of sharing the story of Jesus. We will all feel better if our students know the word of Christ and at the same time can throw a kick and a punch if the Devils army attacks. We are excited for our Tucson retreat and attending the annual camping events and learning self defense at the Gym in Tucson.

New Construction Defects Found In Oklahoma Church

As many prepare to worship in the comforts of the new church, they are disappointed to find out that there will be yet another delay. Church leaders gathered on the site of the new Church grounds to discuss various matters at hand. To their surprise there were some very serious construction defects in the interior of the Church. The stage area where talks are given and performances are acted out was not level, there were flaws in the sheetrock, and the stained glass windows of Jesus were not installed and sealed properly. We can not give praise to the lord in these kinds of conditions, we have prayed on the matter and decided that we would be wise to hire a defect construction umpire to help us settle this with the contractors. The contractors stated upon visiting the site that the flaws in question was work done by the church members that donated their time to help. This is not the case as stated in the scope of wok contract that the contractor drew up prior to starting the job. If he did defer some of the work to the volunteers he would still be accountable for the outcome of the project. Church leaders have temporarily halted any further construction and have advised all contractors to stay away from the Church until evidence can be collected for the case. If the Church wins they will be paid back a percentage of the upfront costs and the contract will become void. At that point any local contractor can bid to finish the job. With Summer here there are hopes and prayers going out that this project wraps up before the holiday season. The annual pumpkin carving competition for god’s children will be taking place in October and the Church will need to be ready by then. In November we will be feeding the homeless, and in December we will be having holiday performances throughout the month of December. Hopefully the case resolves early in the trial so that we can proceed with doing God’s work.

Faith Mission In Huntersville North Carolina

We were out on a mission in Huntersville, North Carolina in April and as we were traveling door to door preaching the word of God, one of our elderly preachers slipped off of a curb and twisted his back muscle. He was in extreme pain and needed an act of God to get him through the day. We finished with our preaching in that neighborhood then proceeded to drive into town. Huntersville was very welcoming to us as it has a large Christian population. It seemed that the local businesses were also owned by Christians which made it nice for fellowship. We found a chiropractic Doctor in Huntersville that specialized in acupuncture treatment as well as back and neck adjustments. We arrived at Doyle Chiropractic and Doctor Geoffrey Doyle took us in immediately and began treatment on preacher Jim. He started with some simple adjustments, then proceeded with some more advanced techniques that really seemed to relieve the pain our preacher was experiencing in his back. After the adjustments were made, preacher Jim was moved into another room where he received acupuncture treatment from some of the staff. We waited for about 45 minutes until they were done and when preacher Jim walked out of that office he looked like a whole new man. Thanks to the staff at Doyle Chiropractic we were able to continue our mission work and preached for the rest of the day. We made it down to the local library and stood outside with christian publications that the local community could have for free. We handed those out for a few hours and then broke for lunch. During lunch, preacher Jim commented that his back pain had almost completely disappeared and he was feeling like another round of mission based preaching on the streets of Huntersville. We ventured back out for the day in Huntersville and some of the surrounding communities including Lake Norman. We handed out all of our religious publications to people in passing, everyone there was very welcoming of our message. God is good, god is great, and giving out religious literature on the streets is a very effective way to market the word of God to community members. The lord is our savior, and today he guided us to a Chiropractor that happened to be father Jim’s savior!

Keeping The Phoenix Churches Pest Free

Our partners in Phoenix have been experiencing an infestation of cockroaches, termites, and scorpions at many of our smaller inner city churches. The churches are funded from donations from our church members. Unfortunately the demographic of most of our church goers is that of struggling families with little money and lots of faith. Arizona has a very large hispanic population and many of those immigrants work for below minimum wage. This makes it hard for an organization that depends on contributions every Sunday. When we were notified of our pest problem, there were concerns that we couldn’t afford to rid ourselves of the problem. We got many bids from various pest control companies in Phoenix, and they all came in pretty competitive but I knew we wouldn’t be capable of affording anything beyond the initial treatment. We needed monthly spraying at the downtown Phoenix location and knew were going to be short on the services. We held a car wash for a few consecutive weekends and raised enough to hire a company that provided the best pest control Phoenix has in the downtown area, plus they had a mobile app that allowed us to schedule our service times from our mobile phones . Most of church security features run from our mobile apps also, so this was convenient for us and it worked. They came in during the week when the church was empty and bombed the place. The fog spray actually flushed out a massive amount of Roaches and you could see them crawling on the walls and floors of the Church. There termites had been eating away at the wood frame structure in the church interior. After the first fogging, they went in and sprayed the baseboards and cracks in the walls and flooring where there may have been additional pests hiding. We mad multiple follow ups throughout the week with minor treatment for the bugs that survived the first wave of pest control. Since the treatment, we haven’t seen any insects in the church. No roaches, few termites, and no scorpions. We have also added sticky strips along the baseboards to capture anything crawling around when we are not around. The termite treatment will continue as long as we can adored to keep paying for it. The church needs to remain termite free and have a healthy structure. It can become a hazard when termites do to much damage to a structure. The pest control services in Phoenix were enough to get us back to square 1 and reset, but we will need to continue with preventative measures to ensure that the roaches stay out and the termites don’t eat through the church walls.

Cleaning The Teeth of The Homeless

We are proud to announce that we had enough volunteers for the St. Patricks Day event coming up this month on March 17th. There will be volunteers gathering in many states around the United States to offer services to the homeless. Feeding them will be first on the agenda for the day, there will be tents and buffet tables set up with corned beef briskets and roasted potatoes as our hot items, there will be cabbage salad and a corn salad as cold side dishes. After eating all attendees will be encouraged to make their way to the portable showering tents where they can receive a warm shower in a safe clean environment. Once showered, we will be giving out new wardrobes put together from member donated clothing drives across the country. There are enough clothes for everyone, so we are excited to see how well this offering is received. The next phase of our St. Patricks Day gathering will include haircuts for those in need, a free eye exam, and a free dental checkup from a local dentist in OKC. After all of our clients have received a oral checkup and cleaning, they will all be given an environmentally friendly bag with disposable belongings that will aim to encourage them to improve their situation. Bible study will be held afterwords for any of our clients that wish to stay and enjoy an hour of Bible study with the volunteers of the church and members of the community. We are pleased by the number of volunteers that have stepped up and made the pledge to help end homelessness and help end hunger. Our volunteers have not only raised the money needed to provide food, clothes, and oral check ups for our clients, but they have gone above and beyond finding additional volunteers to work our treatment stations around the country. With the blessing of God, the support of the community, and belief in each other we can help end the cycle of homelessness amongst families and help them make a better future for their loved ones. God bless you all for your ongoing love and support as we spread the will of God across the globe and comfort those in need.

Investing in Commercial Real Estate For Your Church

The stock market these days is a roller coaster ride; extreme highs and extreme lows. When investing your hard earned money, it’s difficult to know how to invest to get a positive return on your investment. Love the idea of investing in real estate but you’re not an expert house flipper? Making a commercial real estate purchase, might be a better option for you, and finding a commercial property manager should be next on the agenda. To locate land, build a church, and get people in the door on Sundays is the work of the lord. You just need to do your part by finding the right property, and getting the people to manage it for you in the area you purchase in.

When most people think about investing in real estate, they conjure up images of HGTV stars buying a house, refurbishing it and selling it for an amazing profit—all in record time. In the real world, however, this isn’t always the case, and unless you have some true experience flipping houses, the work and cost involved may actually put you in the red. Purchasing real estate that does not require refurbishment and already has positive cash flow sounds too good to be true. Real estate, though, can be a wildly profitable venture but many people don’t even consider investing in that hidden gem: commercial real estate. Commercial real estate could be investing in an office building, a warehouse, a retail shop, an apartment building, an industrial building or a mixed use building, one that may combine retail, apartments, and office space, for instance. A church is a great building for these properties also. There are tac benefits to owning land with religious structures on them.

Commercial real estate for churches and churches that are for sale can be an excellent investment because if you find a building with high rental potential, you can make some decent cash flow each month. If that building is in a good area, it’s long-term profit potential will build you equity while you are renting to others. This way you generate cash flow while you are building equity. Unlike residential rental properties, commercial renters are more likely to sign a long term lease, especially if they are using it as a business address. Most companies don’t want to move to make sure potential customers can find them, so it makes sense to rent a space long term. You can purchase a home to rent to renovate and rent to others but then you run the risk of renting to someone who just might destroy all the hard work you put in to fix the home. With commercial real estate, your tenants are less likely to trash the place, especially if it where they have set up their business! But if you are a church you don’t need to worry about tenants. No phone calls in the middle of the night to come fix something at a residential property; a building maintenance team can handle that task with a commercial property. Plus, commercial space renters often help to maintain the building they are in; no one wants to set up their business in a run-down building, so the likelihood a business renter will treat the property with respect is greater.

Another way commercial real estate is different from residential real estate is the manner in which the value is determined. When a house is put up for sale, comparable neighborhood properties generate the amount a house can potentially sell for, also known as a “comp”. Two 2000 square foot homes in the same neighborhood would be similarly priced, all other things being equal. With a commercial real estate property, the value of the property is based on the amount of rental money it can bring in minus the expenses to maintain it, called the “productive return”. There are very few investments where you can receive monthly cash flow and build equity other than real estate. There are risks, of course, as with any investment, so it is important to work with a commercial real estate broker who knows the area and can give you solid numbers regarding your cash flow and potential equity profit. It’s never a perfect science because no one can predict the future and the bottom could drop out, but history has shown that real estate is one of the best overall investments for your money. When you are investing in a commercial property, you are not only investing in the building itself, but also the land on which it is built, so you will want to work with your broker on an area that shows potential growth. That growth will help the local church expand also.

Many people prefer to invest in the stock market but the drawback is the lack of cash flow. Stocks may be a viable part of your investment strategy, but mixing it up with real estate gives you options you would not have otherwise. While owning a building may sound like a lot of work, you can hire a property management company to handle the day to day issues while you still generate monthly cash flow as the property owner. You may also hire someone to decide to make some upgrades to the building to increase its overall worth in the long run. Owning a commercial property also affords you some tax benefits, like depreciation. If you have owned the building for at least a year, you can be eligible for this particular benefit, even if your building has increased in value. To understand the latest tax laws, it is important to speak with an accountant to understand the available tax advantages to owning a church.

Investing in commercial real estate also gives you options to continue to work at an outside job, while saving the rental income you receive towards your retirement. Or, you could choose to be a full time real estate investor, taking the profits you receive from one building and using them to purchase another building. If you are unable to pay for a building in cash, there are some excellent financing rates available for investors. Before you purchase anything, however, you will want to speak with an accountant and tax attorney to ensure you have the capital or the credit to take on a piece of commercial property.

Many people believe that investing in commercial real estate is only for big time investors, but owning just one small building can be all that you need to establish your financial goals. It takes time and effort to find just the right property, but the potential of cash flow and equity is a compelling reason to explore commercial real estate ownership.

Judah Smith believes Jesus shows us how to live life to the fullest. In this six-session video study, Judah completes the new sentence again and again, revealing how
• Life is to be loved and to love.
• Life is to trust God in every moment.
• Life is to be at peace with God and yourself.
• Life is to enjoy God.

Judah speaks as a friend, welcoming new believers, lifelong followers of Jesus, and even the merely curious. He shows us the love of God that defies human logic and the life that God intends for us to have in the here and now. With excitement and humor, Judah looks at the stories in the Bible from his unique angle and shows how life is all about loving God and loving others.

Session Titles
1. Life Is . . . to Be Loved by God
2. Life Is . . . to Love Others
3. Life Is . . . to Trust God
4. Life Is . . . to Be at Peace with God
5. Life Is . . . to Be at Peace with Yourself
6. Life Is . . . to Enjoy God

Designed for use with the Life Is _____ Study Guide

Judah Smith and his wife, Chelsea, are the lead pastors of The City Church based in Seattle, Washington. The author of the New York Times bestseller Jesus Is ____., Judah is a well-known speaker at conferences and churches around the world. He and Chelsea have three children: Zion, Eliott, and Grace.

Please watch: “SNEAK PEAK Inside the Bible Study Made Easy Course!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-9JB9BAjoU –~–
THE BOOK OF REVELATION EXPLAINED IN UNDER 5 MINUTES!

Have you ever wondered what the book of Revelation is all about?

INTRODUCTION: And today we are talking about the book of Revelation, a book that has several different interpretations and one that many Christians avoid reading and some are even afraid to read it. But today I want to take you through a 7-fold chronological journey through the book of Revelation.

1. Background – Rev. 1:1
a. Name – The name of the book comes from the first verse, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” which lets us know that this book is all about the unveiling or uncovering of the person, plan and power of Jesus Christ.
b. Written in 95 A.D. by the Apostle John who also wrote the gospel of John and the letters 1, 2, and 3 John

2. Letters to Churches – Rev. 2-3
a. Letters from Jesus to 7 churches in Asia minor and each church
b. Each letter exposes some aspect of the churches in that day and the modern day churches
c. These chapters represent the church age in which we currently live

3. Tribulation – Chapters 6-19 – The next thing that will happen is the church will be raptured and the tribulation will begin.
a. This represents a 7-year period of time after the church has been raptured where God allows those who are left behind one final opportunity accept Him as Savior.
b. But the catch is that , because there is no church wickedness and evil are rampant throughout this section making it very difficult for people to choose Jesus.
c. The final 3 ½ years of this period are what’s called the Great Tribulation. And man it’s gonna get bad (no drinking water, painful sores, sun will get so hot it will scorch the skin of men.”

4. The Battle – 19
a. After these things there is the battle of Armageddon. It won’t be much of a battle because Satan and his armies will be severely destroyed by Jesus.
b. Satan will be bound for 1000 years

5. 1000 year reign – Rev. 20:6 – This is the actual Second Coming of Jesus Christ. All Christians from all time will reign physically on earth with Jesus. Satan will be bound during this time so there will no demonic influence for 1000 years.

6. Judgments – Rev. 20:11-15 – Satan & every unbeliever who has ever lived will then stand before God and be judged for their sins and then cast into the Lake of Fire for eternal separation from God.

7. New Heaven & New Earth – Rev. 21:1 –
a. Interestingly enough there are only 4 chapters in the bible where there is a perfect environment (Gen. 1-2 & Rev. 21-22).
b. And so what we see here is the magnificent story of God coming full circle and God reestablishing the perfect environment that He had intended.
c. The Bible says that the earth, which is decaying every day, is not fit for eternity so God will destroy this current earth and create a new heaven and a new earth where we will dwell with Him throughout all eternity.

I hope this short video if nothing more will encourage you to study this book and see the awesome plan God has the future and most importantly that this book will give us as Christians the comfort in knowing that no matter how crazy things appear in this world that God was, is and always will be in complete control.

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In the Made to Crave Group Bible Study, New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst, uncovers the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make it happen. Made to Crave is a six-session video study designed for use with the companion participant’s guide.

Craving isn’t a bad thing, but we must realize God created us to crave so we’d ultimately desire more of Him in our lives. Many of us have misplaced that craving, overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction.

For a woman struggling with unhealthy eating habits, Made to Crave will equip her to:
•Break the “I’ll start again Monday cycle” and start feeling good about herself today
•Stop beating herself up over the numbers on the scale and make peace with the body she’s been given
•Discover how weight loss struggles aren’t a curse but, rather, a blessing in the making
•Replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory
•Eat healthy without feeling deprived
•Reach a healthy weight goal while growing closer to God through the process

Made to Crave session titles include:
Session 1: From Deprivation to Empowerment
Session 2: From Desperation to Determination
Session 3: From Guilt to Peace
Session 4: From Triggers to Truth
Session 5: From Permissible to Beneficial
Session 6: From Consumed to Courageous
Bonus Session: Moving the Mountain

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author and national speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith. She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, author of 15 books, and encourages nearly 500,000 women worldwide through a daily online devotional. Her remarkable life story has captured audiences across America, including appearances on Oprah and Good Morning America. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five children.

The word “sin” is one of the most common bad words in the Bible, but what does it really mean? In this video, we’ll explore the concept of “moral failure” that underlies this important biblical word. Get ready to discover a profound and realistic portrait of the human condition.